We speak a lot on this site about being admittedly ‘new’ fans of Breaking Bad. It’s now been over five years since our awakening, and right now I’m back rewatching the entire series once again. Does it still entertain and keep my interest five years on?
The honest answer is a resounding YES! Am I bias? Of course I am! Before I go into more detail, I feel the need to apologise for lack of content updates recently – real life got very busy! I work in live events and it’s fair to say post covid, when I started this site, things were a little quiet – I then dabbled with a change of career, before jumping back into the live events as things slowly began to pick up. 2025 has seen quite a rapid return to form, working for a good friend, with a new-ish events company that has streadily taken me further and further away from having time to devote to my hobbies! But, I plan to make more time to both this and my art projects, just working on that balance now!
I have, however, found time to start re-watching the greatest television show ever made. I can’t say for sure how many times in the past five years I’ve rewatched BrBa start to finish, it’s probably not as much as you think but certainly now it’s been over five years my current re-watch hits a little different.
For one, I’m now the age Walter White was at the start of Breaking Bad, and seriously that’s a very strange sensation. Weirdly I felt as I was only 45 when I discovered the show, hitting the big 5-0 like Walt wouldn’t be a big deal, but now being that age, seeing Walts crisis, I don’t know, it does hit different. Thankfully my first months of being 50 have taken a very different course to Walts at least!
As curator of this website, and sometimes partner in crime with Carol on the AP fans instagram, the chance to spend time once again with Jesse Pinkman is never a chore, and pretty much confirms my complete bias on the topic of Breaking Bad – could I ever not enjoy this show? No, not a chance but my familiarity, my adoration for the masterpeice does still throw some surprises – I notice things I’ve not seen before, I find myself paying more attention to aspects that I’ve previously not given much time to.
Right now I’ve just started Season two, and what strikes me at this point is just how much I love that first season and am reminded just how often I read commentators say it’s the weakest season. I get it to a point, looking at the bigger picture, there’s an awful lot of character building, we’re still new to the world but I soon discovered that rewatching the first season, after the conclision of the series, just adds a whole new layer to proceedings.
The pilot episode truly is a master class, how it introduces all the characters – feeds you vital information so early, so precisely without it feeling forced is fantastic storytelling. Naturally Walt’s character is so well introduced, but the other key players get just as much detail, the key things you need to know and it’s only now that I can truly see that.
The real joy when rewatching the series is being able to focus more on the relationship between Walter and Jesse. The chemistry really is there from the off, how the two interact never grows old, and the best examples of their chemistry shines through in the first two seasons. The five years I’ve spent obsessing over Breaking Bad has also given me the opportunity to really appreciate the talents of Anna Gunn, Betsy Brandt and Dean Norris as supporting characters. So much of the Breaking Bad ‘noise’ rightfuly focuses on Walter White, then Jesse Pinkman, that you gravitate towards them in the first instance, but I’m finding myself really starting to enjoy the whole esemble on my more recent rewatches.
I’m much more invested now in the relationship with Skyler and Marie, the sibling rivalry is really well done in those early episodes that maybe I didn’t truly appreciate on my first watches.
You notice more some subtle plot lines that fell by the wayside a little more after a few watches – notably Marie’s shoplifting, was there ever supposed to be a bigger point to that? Skylers ‘ebay’ obsession was quickly forgotten, as was her novel writing ambitions, it could have been interesting if she had decided to profit off Walt’s crimes by writing the stories of ‘Heisenberg’ – can you imagine?
One constant factor with my rewatches has always been enjoying the humour more, and this is found much more in the first season, going into the second. Most of it is coming from Hank one-liners, but also a good deal from Walt and Jesse. I adore the scene in the final episode of Season One where Walt reveals the full face head masks to Jesse before stealing the barrel, and Jesse’s reaction is priceless, its so quick, but it’s absolutely perfect delivery between the pair. It’s a line, or exchange I rarely see being quoted, which personally I feel is a great shame.
Outside the chemical warehouse. Walt hands Jesse his woolen headmask/face covering.
Jesse: What the hell is this?
Walt: (snappy) It's all they had!
Jesse: Then you go to another store. If this is all they had, you're in the wrong place!
Walt: (still snappy) Just put it on!
Five years on, it’s safe to say my love of Breaking Bad is as strong as ever. There has not been a TV show to take it’s place in my world since, nothing has come close (there’s been TV I’ve enjoyed since… Wandavision, Andor, The Penguin, Severence oh and not forgetting Succession…) but none I have repeatedly rewatched, built websites for and repeately buying stuff related to it.
I think I can safely say this is not a fad, a passing phase, this is now something that is a solid part of my world and yes, anyone who knows me, also knows this fact – the live events I run (comic con/fan events), the vendors now know if they pick up anything Breaking Bad, they have a customer in me, I have something of a reputation and a ever growing collection of BrBa stuff lol!
Breaking Bad – it’s a 10/10 from me!
Writer – Jilbo – June 2025
